“Mr. Brown,” Brooke says as she sits at the head of the table, watching us. “Was that the guy from the charity gala?”
“Yes,” Westin says as he shoots Nolan a quick glare. “The one which your brother and your friend ruined.”
She’s trying not to laugh as she looks at Nolan. “At least I got one of my brothers a girl.”
“And it’s going to give your other brothers an ulcer,” Westin says, frowning at his pizza. “We have to figure out what we’re going to do.”
“Can’t we just hang out and not talk about work, or money?” Brooke says as she plays with her black hair. “You guys are always working! Don’t you think it’s weird that we have to have our family get-togethers in a conference room? I don’t want to have to dress business casual just to see my family.”
“That’s business casual?” I ask, pointing at the cleavage popping out of her shirt.
“It is,” she says with a grin. “You should see what I wear with my friends.”
Westin shakes his head. “Please don’t make us lose our appetite, Brooke.”
“Still,” she says as she crosses her arms. “The only time I can see my family is when they’re doing overtime. That’s messed up.”
Westin rifles through a file and pulls out a check. “This is why we’re still here,” he says as he hands it to her. “Your quarterly dividend check.”
Brooke is all excited until she sees it. “I think the printer forgot to put a zero on here.”
Our father left us the investment firm when he passed away five years ago and we’re all equal owners. The four boys work full time at it, but Brooke is more of an artsy type who wants to be an actress. She just brings us food once in a while and collects the checks.
“That’s from Nolan and Arya’s impromptu show,” Westin says, still shaking his head.
“At least we got a new sister-in-law out of it,” she says, smiling at Nolan. “And Nolan got a wife. That’s worth it, isn’t it? Getting a new family member. That’s priceless!”
“Actually, the price was fifteen million each,” I mutter. Nolan and Brooke frown at me as Westin and Luke nod their heads in agreement.
“Well, I’d gladly pay fifteen million dollars for each one of you if it meant finding the girl of your dreams.”
“Thanks,” I say to her with a laugh. “For spending your imaginary money on these imaginary girls.”
“There’s someone out there for each of you,” Brooke says, looking indignant. “Just because you insist on being locked up here and refuse to try and find her, doesn’t mean she’s not out there.”
“Yes, somewhere out there,” I say with a grin, “is the world’s most anal girl for Westin, and working in some medieval pub is a woman for Luke.”
“And what?” Luke asks with a sneer. “The most annoying girl in the world is out there for you?”
“Do you have any more friends to set these guys up with?” Nolan asks. “They don’t know what they’re missing.”
“What we’re missing,” Westin says, “is one hundred and seventeen million dollars on our quarterly spreadsheet.”
“No,” Brooke answers. “What you’re missing is love.”
“What Luke is missing is a brain.” Luke throws down his pizza and lunges on me. “Shit!” I laugh as I jump up and jerk the chair between us.
“A chair is not going to stop me from kicking your ass,” he says with a grin. Nolan, Westin, and Brooke are casually eating their pizza slices as they watch. They’ve seen me and Luke fight enough times over the years that it’s become normal.
He’s bigger than me and usually always wins, but I can’t seem to stop myself from antagonizing the caveman. It’s just too easy and so much fun.
With a grunt, he kicks the chair and tackles me onto the table as the chair spins away.
“Watch it!” I grunt through his greasy palm on my mouth. “This is a three thousand dollar suit!”
He rolls me over the open pizza box as he shoves his forearm into my temple. “Mine is worth four thousand you cheap bastard.”
“Not anymore,” I say with a laugh as I roll him onto his cup of Mountain Dew.
“Fuck!” he hollers as it soaks through his coat.
We’re wrestling and punching each other hard enough to hurt, but soft enough to know that we’re just playing.
“Mr. Brown!” Westin says in surprise.
Luke and I immediately stop and look at the door. Mr. Brown is standing there watching the scene with a horrified look on his face.
“This was a mistake,” he says before disappearing as quickly as he appeared.
“Wait!” Westin shouts as he runs after him.
“Get off of me!” I whisper-shout at Luke as I try to push his huge body off my chest. He jumps off of me as Nolan and Brooke disappear into the hallway.
The five of us catch up to Mr. Brown as he impatiently waits for the elevator to arrive. Westin is pleading with him to stay.